Pansies in their thousands for festival

Oct 27 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

TWO thousand pansies will be planted in Liverpool next week to mark the start of the city’s Homotopia festival.

Artist Paul Harfleet will install his internationally recognised Pansy Project in St John’s Gardens on Monday, October 29, with members of Liverpool’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community and police officers.

The flowers – which act as a memorial to the victims of homophobic violence – will remain in the gardens until the festival’s final day on Monday, November 19, when they will be given away to the public as a symbolic stand against hate crimes.

The Pansy Project is just one of more than 70 events that will take place as part of Homotopia this year.

The expanded programme starts on Thursday, November 1 and includes the National Theatre of Scotland making its Liverpool debut with the critically acclaimed Venus As A Boy.

Performances at the Unity Theatre will start on Thursday, November 15 for a three-day run.

Gary Everett, Homotop- ia’s artistic director, said: “Homotopia is now only in its fourth year, but in a relatively short space of time the festival has established itself as a linchpin of Liverpool’s cultural calendar.

“This year’s programme features a great mix of new and established work.”

New for 2007 is Homotopia TV, Liverpool first online station dedicated to gay art and culture, which will launch at www.homotopia.tv on November 1.